Have you heard? Monday, August 4 is Beer Hall Day at The Dubliners’ Irish Pub. What is Beer Hall Day, you might ask? For one day only, pints of draft beer will be sold for just ¥500. At which branch? All six of ’em! And if you can’t wait until then, stop by any of the locations (in Shibuya, Shinjuku, Akasaka, Shinagawa, Toranomon or Ikebukuro) between July 28 and August 3, and for every pint you drink, receive a ¥100 discount ticket redeemable on or after August 5.

It’s easy to grow tired of visiting the same Roppongi watering holes week after week. Opened last month, Zero Bar (1F Roppongi 410 Bldg, 4-10-5 Roppongi, Minato-ku; 03-5775-0100; www.zerobar.jp) promises something fresh—and refreshing. This new champagne bar just steps from the Tokyo Midtown complex offers a selection of over 100 bottles of bubby and wine. The small-ish space is dimly lit, with a wood counter and comfy low-back bar stools and the drinks illuminated under red lights. To find it, look for the number “0” in the bar’s ground-level window.

Up for some live jazz, pops, bossa nova, samba or chanson from leading Japanese musicians? At Boston Dreams (B1 Roppongi Five Bldg, 5-18-20 Roppongi, Minato-ku; 03-3583-3988), just off Gaien-Higashi Dori, you can enjoy three sets of live music (7:40-11pm) six days a week. Stop by during happy hour (5:30-7:30pm) and pay ¥1,000 for two drinks and popcorn, with additional drinks just ¥500. Entry starts at just ¥3,000, but mention Metropolis and get in for half-price. BJM

The pristine white lotus flower thrives in the dark and murky
environs of a swamp. This image entered our minds upon stepping
into Sakanatei, a quiet izakaya in the heart of Shibuyas
sullied Dogenzaka district.

With the nihonshu-brewing season coming to a close, we heeded
the recommendation of Metropolis Sake Man John Gauntner, along
with his veritable bible on the drink and all things related,
and decided to learn a little about Japans national
brew in the off-season.

Some in our group were meeting for the first time, so after
a few introductions we started getting to know the menu. The
kanji-filled matrix of sake options, however, necessitated
a couple of the two sampler sets (¥900). Soon we were
looking down at a half-dozen varieties of junmaishu, which,
so says The Sake Handbook, means that no additional alcohol
has been added during the brewing process.

After an hour of taste testing, the Nanakamba had endured
the longest of the smattering of glasses on the table, transforming
from bitter to better as our evening progressed. First to
go, with its sweet, fruity aftertaste, was the Yukisuzume.
Overall, the Kamikokoro, from one of the many famed breweries
of Okayama, was perhaps the easiest going down. After (again)
consulting TSH, we learned the Fukunishiki, hailing from Hyogo
Prefecture, is best when paired with food, and we dutifully
obliged.

Photos BY Jorge Larrañaga

The requisite bowls of edamame (¥400) were fresh, but
the real treat came in the form of the warm rice balls (¥250
each), which were made just-the-way-Mom-used-to.

Forging on with our studies, we ordered up the dangerous-sounding
Senchu-hassaku (¥600), with its neon orange label touting
it cho-karakuchi. It was probably a good decision that this
was our one heated option of the night. After the plates were
cleaned, someone ordered up the crown jewel of the evening,
an emerald green bottle of Suzune champagne sake
(¥1,500).

With a good amount of sake and down-home bar fare now settling
in our stomachs, we took to musing about the eccentricities
of the small bar: the Beatles belting out I am the Walrus
while the dimly lit wood-themed interior was assaulted by
the sounds and fluorescent glow from beyond the window panes.

The highlight of the experience was the staff, three nice
folks who had the dish on sake down pat and made us feel at
ease, perhaps even transported back to simpler times. Our
dining mates that evening included three couples spanning
the generationsperhaps a few of whom remember Shibuya
from its more humble days. Therein lies the beauty of Sakanatei:
The city-dwellers who wander through the door can escape all
that is modern about Tokyo, keeping the Japan of ages past
alive, one sip at a time.